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Community Service Bulletin

April 30, 2014

Spotlight

Monday, May 5: MIT IDEAS Global Challenge Awards Ceremony

7 p.m., Stata Center 32-123

Join the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge for a celebration of the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and public service. On Monday, May 5, come meet the teams that entered this year and celebrate with us as we announce the teams that will be awarded up to $10,000 to make their ideas a reality. This is where ideas come to life!

No specific knowledge of science is required; take a break from classes, de-stress, and contribute to the education of others. When you are sure you can commit to the entire volunteer period register at: https://s.zoomerang.com/s/pmd051014

People Making a Difference (PMD): Lori Tsuruda '89, lori@pmd.org, 781-963-0373

May 17: Fill book requests for prisoners (sign up by May 8)

Saturday, May 17, 12:45-4:15 p.m., at Prison Book Program (Quincy Center, T accessible)

Most prisoners come from marginalized sectors of society and nearly all are poor and under-educated. Education is a proven tool for preventing people from returning to prison after they have been released; however, prisoners often have little to no access quality reading materials. In partnership with the Prison Book Program, volunteers will fulfill prisoner's requests for quality reading materials.

Take a break from finals studying and join PMD in contributing to the education of others. Volunteers will confirm prisoners' addresses via the internet, read their letters, select books, prepare postcards, package the books with resource materials, and address the packages.

Ongoing Opportunities

Second-grade partner in STEM

I am looking for undergraduate or graduate student to donate their time in my classroom in a Boston Public School to help excite my students in STEM. I am looking for someone who believes that children are our future and must have every opportunity to compete globally. The student will help plan meaningful STEM lessons and execute the lesson in fun activities in various ways for the students. If you find it in your hearts to take on this challenge, please give me a call at 857-201-9486.

Sitters Without Borders

Sitters Without Borders is non-profit aimed to help low-income families, who are trying to graduate college, by babysitting their child for short sessions of 4 hours a week. This is a volunteer-run organization composed of altruistic and enthusiastic Bostonians! We are looking for volunteer babysitters who enjoy helping the Boston community. Whether your experience is playing with your little cousin, or if you have an extensive resume with children, we will find a match for you! Sometimes you only need to answer questions such as "Why is the sky blue?" or manage cookie-intake. To apply, visit us at www.SittersWithoutBorders.com or email swob@sitterswithoutborders.com.

Locations are throughout Greater Boston area and are assigned based on volunteer preference. All locations are T-accessible. Depending on your schedule, our volunteers babysit for a maximum of 4 hours each week.

Mentor with MAGIC

Do you want to make a difference in a young girl's life? MAGIC (More Active Girls in Computing) is looking for energetic women in STEM to serve as mentors to a middle or high school girl.

We focus on providing middle and high school girls, who are seriously considering a STEM area, with knowledge of tools and resources available to them to be successful. This is done within the specified mentorship period. MAGIC has completed six years mentoring girls from schools in the Bay Area, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Cambridge.

Looking for MIT student help with the Harwich Observatory

We would like to automate our Tectron Dobsonian reflector telescope. This scope is the largest one (that we know of) on Cape Cod and has a 32-inch diameter mirror housed in a 12-foot frame. We would also like to have an interactive robot that I would like to name STAAN (Stellar Teacher And Astronomical Navigator). STAAN would be able to give "guided tours" of the galaxy and possess a recording module or microphone input for us to record music and spoken presentation for playback to a young audience. I have made simple animatronic devices with servos, motors, and breadboards, however my expertise is nowhere near the level of MIT students.

FYI, several members of the MIT Club of Cape Cod have made visits to the Harwich Observatory and have enthusiastically praised our work here to put a facility in place with ideal dark-sky viewing capabilities and that is free and open to the public.

Our website offers information on our equipment and some of our capabilities. We are in the process of acquiring additional equipment while fine-tuning our ability to observe celestial wonders. The website is www.monomoy.edu/harwichobservatory.

Contest open to all MIT undergraduate and graduate students and Wellesley students cross-registered at MIT this semester. Your entry should be related to or inspired by any of the ideals of Dr. King and/or other civil rights leaders in the past or current human rights activists in the US and the World. These ideals include freedom, justice, peace, equality, civil rights, human rights and/or social justice.

Here is your chance to show off your creativity and artistic skills to the MIT community, have fun and win money! For more information and submission form: http://web.mit.edu/mlking/contest/.

The MIT Public Service Center is not responsible for the quality or safety of outside service agencies, and does not screen volunteer placements or projects. The Community Service Opportunities bulletin is published once a week by the staff of the MIT Public Service Center. If you have questions, feel free to call us at 617-253-0742, or stop by 4-104.